NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans received welcome news about quarterback Jake Locker's hip injury following a second MRI on Tuesday.

The team said Locker has officially been diagnosed with a sprained hip, confirmed that he will not require surgery to fix the problem and said "we certainly would expect him to miss a few weeks, but we are encouraged by the news."

It will take Locker four to six weeks to return. The Titans have upcoming games against Kansas City, Seattle and San Francisco before entering a bye weekend. So Locker could come back for a Nov. 3 game in St. Louis against former Titans coach Jeff Fisher.

The team's statement said Locker will need time to heal and strengthen the area, but said he's already begun rehab for the hip injury as well as a sprained MCL injury suffered on the same play.

Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will start Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, and indications are that the Titans will activate Rusty Smith from the practice squad as his back-up, as opposed to signing one of the veteran quarterbacks – David Carr and John Skelton – who worked out for the team Tuesday.

Smith has more than three years of experience in the organization, has played in parts of three games and has one NFL start to his credit.

"You always have to prepare like you're going to play, and even though I've been on the practice squad, you continue to watch film and prepare as best you can because of a situation like this," Smith said Monday. "If they decide to go with me, then they're going to get exactly what I've been doing -- preparing and watching film, working hard and doing my best to be ready."

When the Titans add their backup quarterback, the team will need to make a personnel move to keep the roster at 53. Players who could be cut would include defensive linemen Keyunta Dawson or Lavar Edwards (who could go to the practice squad), or wide receiver Michael Preston.

Locker suffered his injury when he took two hits – from Jets' Muhammad Wilkerson and Quinton Coples -- following an incomplete pass, and he appeared to twist his leg on the second hit.

Locker was in the midst of his best statistical game, having already thrown three touchdown passes against the Jets. His turnover-free play through four games has been one of the reasons the team has a 3-1 record heading into Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

Fitzpatrick, who served as Buffalo's starter the past three years, was signed to a two-year deal, $6.25 million deal last March, with the hopes that he would be a good mentor for Locker as well as a quality injury replacement.

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[NFC grades by Jim Corbett] Cowboy (C): Who are these guys? Coach Jason Garrett was stripped of his play-calling duties and offensive line coach Bill Callahan was supposed to run his offense through RB DeMarco Murray (29). But with the exception of Murray's 176-yard game against the Rams, the Cowboys are still built around QB Tony Romo, which means riding the up-and-down "Romocoaster.''
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Eagles (D): So much for revolutionizing the league. Since that impressive 33-27 opening-night victory over the Redskins by Chip Kelly's blur offense, the Eagles have lost three straight because their defense can't stop anybody. They sorely miss play-making WR Jeremy Maclin, who was lost to a season-ending knee injury in training camp.
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Redskins (D): Washington goes into its bye week off a sorely needed Week 4 comeback win over the Raiders. QB Robert Griffin III, coming off knee surgery, has played better in each start, though probably not improving fast enough for fans. Now RB Alfred Morris needs the bye week to allow his bruised ribs to heal. The schedule gets tough, with Dallas, Chicago and Denver up next.
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Giants (F): This once-proud franchise, which has won two of the last six Super Bowls, has been outscored 146-61 and is now lumped at the bottom of the league with the winless Steelers, Buccaneers and Jaguars. The offensive line is an aging, injury-depleted sieve, RB David Wilson has been a liability protecting the football, and QB Eli Manning is struggling. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride needs to readjust the downfield passing game to help Manning.
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Lions (B): RB Reggie Bush (21) has made all the difference for a surprise contender that won just four games last season while relying too heavily on QB Matthew Stafford, who threw a league-high 727 times. A more diversified offense no longer is dependent solely on the Stafford-to-Calvin Johnson connection. DT Ndamukong Suh is living up to expectations as a pass-rushing force, helped by first-round DE Ziggy Ansah, who hasn't looked like a rookie.
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Bears (B): QB Jay Cutler, Mr. Fourth Quarter, reverted to the reckless gunslinger with four turnovers in a Week 4 loss to the Lions. Until then, new coach Marc Trestman had done a good job of getting Cutler to buy into his quick-rhythm passing game. The defense has been living on the edge by relying on turnovers, and when the Bears haven't gotten them, they've been gashed by the likes of A.J. Green, Antonio Brown and Reggie Bush.
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Packers (C): As poorly as Green Bay has played, it's just two games behind the division-leading Bears and Lions. Injuries and an offensive line suspect at the edges have caused issues. But despite a costly Week 3 fumble, the Packers might have found an answer to their long-dormant run game -- rookie Johnathan Franklin (23), who cranked out 126 yards on 16 touches in a Week 3 loss to Cincinnati.
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Vikings (D): Did Matt Cassel just invite a quarterback controversy to the bye week? Coach Leslie Frazier insists that the maddeningly inconsistent Christian Ponder remains his starter, though Cassel did what Ponder hasn't – sparked his team by throwing down the field in a 34-27 win Sunday against Pittsburgh in London. The defense has pressured quarterbacks, with 14 sacks so far.
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Saints (B+): Everyone expected the Saints would get back to winning with coach Sean Payton's return from a year-long suspension. But defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been the assistant of the season so far. Rookie S Kenny Vaccaro (32), DT Akiem Hicks and DE Cameron Jordan have been studs. And QB Drew Brees keeps stringing 300-yard games. TE Jimmy Graham, with two TDs on Monday night, is having a monster season in a contract year.
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Panthers (C): QB Cam Newton is playing better, with six TD passes (another on the ground) and just two INTs. DeAngelo Williams (34) is running strong again. It helped that offensive coordinator Mike Shula unveiled the read-option in Carolina's 38-0, Week 3 pummeling of the Giants. The defense is stouter in the interior given the strong play of rookie DTs Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short.
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Falcons (D): It wasn't supposed to be this way, but injuries have robbed the Falcons of DE Kroy Briermann (for the season) and LB Sean Weatherspoon (injured reserve/designated to return). RB Steven Jackson is likely to miss another couple of weeks with a thigh bruise, while WR Roddy White (84) has been limited by a high ankle sprain. Unlike last season, QB Matt Ryan has not been able to bail the Falcons out of close games.
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Buccaneers (F): Smothered in controversy, the season could spiral out of control at any moment. QB Josh Freeman, benched for rookie Mike Glennon (8), wants out -- now. And coach Greg Schiano, left, and GM Mark Dominik are trying to accommodate but can't find a taker for a guy with a big contract who will be a free agent at the end of the season. Freeman has become such a distraction that he wasn't allowed on the sideline Sunday. And now he's accusing someone in the organization of leaking confidential drug-test information.
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Seahawks (A): CB Richard Sherman (25) and the league's No. 1 scoring defense have earned the right to chatter away. QB Russell Wilson owns the league's top passer rating over the past 12 games, dating to last season. He can take over a game -- and he did when the Seahawks stormed back for a 23-20 overtime win Sunday at Houston. And RB Marshawn Lynch's bruising running helps keep that big-play defense stay fresh.
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49ers (C): After torching the Packers for 412 passing yards in the opener, QB Colin Kaepernick encountered adversity for the first time, reminding everyone he's made just 14 career starts. Defenses are forcing him to think by taking away his first option. After the first two-game losing skid of his 49ers coaching career, Jim Harbaugh got back to pounding RB Frank Gore against the Rams. Still, a vaunted defense won't be the same with the loss of pass-rushing linebacker Aldon Smith (99) for an undetermined period.
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Cardinals (C): Their second-ranked run defense has kept them in games. But the run game hasn't gotten on track, and QB Carson Palmer (3) has struggled to get in any kind of rhythm. In fact, coach Bruce Arians, right, on Monday called the offense "putrid" and said he never has had a team take so long to learn his playbook. One play they should remember: Palmer to Larry Fitzgerald. The receiver has just three touchdowns.
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Dolphins (B): The Dolphins suffered their first loss Monday night – and it was a bad one. They were blown out of the Superdome by the Saints. But the rest of the first quarter of the season was a good one, with positive development from second-year QB Ryan Tannehill (17).
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Jets (C): Considering all of the drama and dysfunction around Florham Park, N.J., in the offseason, two wins in the first four games should be considered a success. Rookie QB Geno Smith is enduring his growing pains while surrounded by mediocre talent. The Jets' defense, meanwhile, is ranked in the top 10 in several major categories – exactly what a young quarterback needs to stay in close games. Now if he can just reduce the turnovers ...
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Browns (B): Cleveland earns a better-than-average grade for the way they proved just about everyone else in the NFL wrong by winning the past two games since trading away 2012 first-round RB Trent Richardson for a 2014 first rounder. It was a move many saw as waving a white flag on 2013, while setting up to take a quarterback in next year's draft. Well, backup QB Brian Hoyer (who replaced an injured Brandon Weeden) and TE Jordan Cameron (84) had other plans, sparking wins against the Vikings and Bengals.
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Bengals (C): Of the three 2-2 teams in the AFC North, Cincinnati has to be the biggest disappointment – and also the biggest enigma. How, really, can you explain scoring 34 points to beat the Packers one week, and scoring only six points in a loss to the Browns the next? This should be the season the Bengals, a wild-card team the past two years, sees significant maturation from their corps of young players, including QB Andy Dalton. But it hasn't happened yet, at least not consistently.
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Texans (C): There is unrest in Houston after QB Matt Schaub threw his third interception for a touchdown (in consecutive games) in an overtime loss to Seattle. Players are angry. Fans are angry. This is a team that expects to be much better than a .500 team – and certainly has the talent to be one of the best in the AFC. The Texans can get back on track Sunday against another borderline desperate team – the 49ers.
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Jaguars (F): Giving this team an F almost feels like kicking it when it's down. But how can Jacksonville's start be described as anything but a disaster? The Jags have scored only 31 points in four games – that's barely more than a touchdown a game. The Jaguars should look forward to Sunday's game against floundering St. Louis, because Week 6 brings a road game at Denver that could feature the largest Las Vegas point spread in NFL history.
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Broncos (A): How many superlatives are left for how Peyton Manning and the Denver offense are carving up opponents? At 37, Manning is in the midst of perhaps the best stretch of his career, with 16 TD passes and no INTs. The Broncos are scoring more than 44 points per game, even without marquee LT Ryan Clady, who is on IR. More impressively, perhaps, is how the Broncos barely noticed the absence of star pass rusher Von Miller (suspension) or CB Champ Bailey (foot injury) in any of their games.
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Chiefs (A): Kansas City has already doubled its win total from 2012 in what has to be one of the league's best story lines of the season. The Andy Reid-Alex Smith partnership is working even better than they could have predicted, and the defense is for real. That front seven, with pass rushers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston and NT Dontari Poe, is going to make many offensive lines look silly.
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Chargers (B): San Diego managed to rebound well from what could have been a devastating Week 1 collapse on Monday Night Football to the Texans. But in beating the Eagles and Cowboys, in their second and fourth games respectively, the Chargers have shown progress from the Norv Turner Era. In Sunday's win against Dallas, QB Philip Rivers, in what could be a make-or-break season, played his best game in years – that's almost worth an A grade alone. Almost.
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Raiders (D): Oakland has not kept pace with the rest of the improving AFC West, though there have been some bright moments in the first month, thanks to the scrambling of QB Terrelle Pryor and the creative blitzes called by defensive coordinator Jason Tarver. The Raiders' only win so far is against Jacksonville, and they'll need to improve quickly to avoid being lapped by the rest of the division by midseason.
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